Foreigner: Foreigner Sequence 1, Book 1

The first book in C.J.Cherryh's eponymous series, Foreigner begins an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient alien race. From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true science fiction odyssey, following a civilization from the age of steam through early space flight to confrontations with other alien species in distant sectors of space. It is the masterwork of a truly remarkable author.

Good store but certainly a different kind of scifi

Complex. I found the story a bit slow and confusing in the beginning, especially the first 2 parts because I just had trouble following it and the fl..Show More »ow for a while.

Invader: Foreigner Sequence 1, Book 2

Nearly two centuries after a human colony is abandoned on an alien planet, the two races have reached a tenacious peace agreement. But when the human ship returns unexpectedly, both governments are thrown into chaos.

The Art of Negotiating with Aliens

STORY - Foreigner is a story told from the perspective of Bren Cameron, who is on a foreign planet and is the sole human negotiator/translator respons..Show More »ible for keeping peace between a human colony and the planet's natives, the Atevi. There are vast biological, philosophical, technological, political and language differences between the species that make his job very interesting and complicated. Further, there are multiple factions within each species that have their own motives and special interests that must also be respected. Things comes to a fever-pitch crisis when the spaceship which brought the human colony to the planet 200 years ago returns unexpectedly. Seeing it return to their skies, the Atevi are rightfully suspicious of its purpose and how its presence may affect their safety.

The story is unusual and very interesting, filled with alien politics, mind games and betrayals. There is some action and suspense, but this is really a book about how Bren negotiates through the multiple crises he is faced with. If you are looking for space travel, wormholes, battles between worlds, you need to look elsewhere. I plan to continue this series, but I must admit that I hope (and expect) the next sequence to have a little more "Star Trek stuff." If not, I will probably become bored with the series and quit.

NARRATOR - Very good. The only reason I didn't rate it a 5 is because it wasn't a particularly difficult performance.

OVERALL - I enjoyed this book and recommend it, but it may not have enough action for all sci-fi enthusiasts.

Inheritor: Foreigner Sequence 1, Book 3

Six months have passed since the reappearance of the starship Phoenix - the same ship which brought humans to the world of alien atevi nearly 200 years ago, leaving a small and vulnerable colony to struggle for survival in a hostile environment. During these six months, the alien atevi have striven to reconfigure their fledgling space program in a breakneck bid to take their place in the heavens alongside humans. But the return of the Phoenix has added a third party to an already volatile situation....

Brilliant and Imaginative

STORY (sci-fi) - CJ Cherryh is an amazing author. The world she has created, the atevi characters, the languages, the political situations...I don't ..Show More »know where she comes up with all this stuff! Just think, there is one human (Bren Cameron) who is charged with translating and maintaining the peace between a human colony and the native atevi, who are large human-like creatures with black skin (see cover art). There are all kinds of differences and extremely tense situations which are great listening. The only complaint I have is that her stories are pretty complex with all the different players and their different motives. There are lots of strange names to keep straight. Several times I wanted to back up and rehear stuff but I was driving and couldn't. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it were simpler or maybe if I were just smarter!

Things get critical in the end and there's quite a bit of action. The current crises are over by the end of the book so it's not a cliffhanger, but there's so much to come. I'm anxious for the space program to build the atevi's ship and get them into space. It looks as if a new, evil race may be watching...

PERFORMANCE - Mr. May has a very pleasant voice. He does a good job differentiating voices for the different main characters and an incredible job pronouncing all the strange names and places in this book.

OVERALL (actual rating 3.5) - This is a great story, but it's not an easy listen. There is only a little bit of sex and no bad language, but this is definitely not for dummies or young listeneres. It is sci-fi in that it deals with human/alien relations, but the problems are all political in nature. If you're looking for little green men with magical powers and cool weapons, you will be disappointed. Each book seems to provide a pretty good recap to get new listeners up to speed, but I would definitely listen to this series from the beginning in order.

Precursor: Foreigner Sequence 2, Book 1

National best-selling author and winner of three Hugo Awards, C.J. Cherryh returns to the universe of her acclaimed Foreigner trilogy - with an epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft stranded on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient race. The beginning of a second trilogy, Precursor follows a single human delegate living among aliens, who are just gaining access to space.

This book moves at a lightning-fast pace! Awesome

STORY (sci-fi) - I can't begin to describe everything that happens in this book. It's #4 in a series of 15 books, and it's my favorite so far by a lo..Show More »ngshot! Bren Cameron (main character) is a human translator/negotiator who lives among the Atevi, an intelligent, peaceful alien species. In this book, Bren and a small group of Atevi travel to a human space station orbiting the Atevi's home planet to negotiate peaceful coexistence while making repairs to the station. They enter a political mess onboard the station, and there's one crisis after another. Too much to begin to describe here, but there's lots of action and suspense and it's also very mentally stimulating. I listened every spare minute I could and was intrigued every second.

CJ Cherryh is a genius! The world she's created, the culture of the Atevi, and I don't know how in the world she came up with everything that went on in this book. The suspense was palpable and the action was exciting, but it didn't rise to the level I would consider "for guys only."

PERFORMANCE - Great job, great voice distinction among many characters. Lots of strange alien pronunciations to keep straight, which he did. He has a distinctive style of reading, the way he pauses throughout sentences, but it's perfect for this book.

OVERALL - Highly recommended for mature males and females. No cursing. A very small amount of vague sexual references. Definitely don't start in the middle of this series because it has a lot of it's own language that would be hard to pick up midstream. Also, the story line builds with each book so you will want that history, but each book ends at a good stopping point where the issues in that particular book are resolved.

Defender: Foreigner Sequence 2, Book 2

The three-time Hugo Award-winning author continues her second trilogy in the "superior alien-contact series." (Kirkus Reviews) National best-selling author and winner of three Hugo Awards, C.J. Cherryh presents book two of her second Foreigner trilogy - the epic story of a single human delegate on a hostile alien planet. In this long-awaited sequel to Precursor, the alien atevi enter the treacherous politics of space travel-as their one human negotiator is caught in the throes of a mutiny.

This author has an awesome imagination

STORY (sci-fi) - Wow, this series has hit its full stride! It's long (15 books), and Defender is Book 5. The first three books were good, but there ..Show More »was lots of background to assimilate, character development, even some special language to learn. But it's time well spent, because the last two books -- wow! I'm definitely in for all 15!

If you look at the cover art, you will get an idea of the story. Bren Cameron is a human negotiator/translator who lives with a larger, black-skinned alien race "atevi" on their home planet. There is a human colony on the planet as well. As you might imagine, there are all kinds of differences and difficulties with their cohabitation, just like we have here on earth. Things are further complicated by the fact that the humans have detected another possibly evil alien race on a remote space station and fear it may have plans to attack them. The human/atevi alliance is strained to come to agreements regarding their own space station, ship construction, space travel and how to potentially deal with the aliens should there be contact. Bren is in the middle of a myriad of difficult decisions and must navigate all kinds of deception, ulterior motives, etc. It's absolutely fascinating, but if you're looking for lots of neat gadgets, weird creatures and action scenes, this is not the book for you. This is more about thinking and problem-solving, because that is what Bren's job is all about.

PERFORMANCE - Great job, great character differentiation. Can't imagine anyone doing it any better.

OVERALL - You must listen to this series in order, as each book picks up where the previous one stops. That said, each book ends at a good stopping point should you decide to "exit" the series at any time. I don't recall any violence and only heard "damn" a handful of times. There's one extremely minor sexual reference in the story. Very highly recommended for anyone who enjoys sci-fi and dissecting difficult situations.

Explorer: Foreigner Sequence 2, Book 3

C.J. Cherryh's second trilogy set in her Foreigner Universe comes to a thrilling conclusion with Explorer. The final installment to this sequence of the Hugo Award-winning author's most successful series, Explorer follows a human delegate trapped in a distant star system facing a potentially bellicose alien ship.

Unlike Anything Else You've Listened To

STORY (science fiction) - If you're looking for a lengthy sci-fi series to really sink your teeth into, look no longer. This one is amazing! But you..Show More » won't find tons of space battles or action heroes. Yes, there are ships, stations, aliens, good guys and bad guys, but most of the story involves a crazy web of problems between alien species that Bren Cameron (human negotiator/translator) must solve. There is so much going on that to even attempt to summarize it would be unfair. Suffice to say it's imaginative, complicated and very tense from beginning to end!! As a listener who has listened to over 300 books as of this writing, I can absolutely say that this series ranks above all the others as to originality.

PERFORMANCE - Wonderful performance. Multiple characters have distinguishable voices. Daniel Thomas May does a great job.

OVERALL - If you like to think and figure out how to solve difficult situations, you will love this series. Not a boring moment. There is no sex, cursing or brutal violence. I'd recommend starting with the first book, as there is lots of history and special language that you will only understand if you start from the beginning. It will be a time investment and the first couple books aren't quite as exciting, but when the series gets into full swing it's absolutely awesome!

Destroyer: Foreigner Sequence 3, Book 1

C.J. Cherryh, one of the most prolific and acclaimed SF writers in the world, delivers the seventh book in her Foreigner series, and the first book in the new Foreigner trilogy - the epic tale of the survivors of a lost spacecraft who crash-land on a planet inhabited by a hostile, sentient race. From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true SF odyssey.

Magnificent !!!

The story line still continues and it's better than ever Please listen to this series!!!!!!You wont regret it !!!!

Pretender: Foreigner Sequence 3, Book 2

Exhausted from a two-year rescue mission to a distant sector of space, and with resources strained by four thousand extra mouths to feed, the crew of the starship Phoenix yearns for the luxuries of home. But when the ship makes the final jump into atevi space, they learn the worst: supplies to their home station have been cut off; civil war has broken out on the atevi mainland; the powerful Western Association has been overthrown; and Tabini-aiji is missing and may be dead.

Lord of Heavens.

Lord of High Heavens is getting dirty with earthly business .Great homecoming for Bren Cameron

Deliverer: Foreigner Sequence 3, Book 3

From its beginnings as a human-alien story of first contact, the Foreigner series has become a true science fiction odyssey. The ninth book in the epic series, and the third book in the third Foreigner trilogy, Deliverer is a worthy contribution to Cherryh's magnum opus that is destined to be a classic.

Earthly business is not over yet!!!

Paidhi-aiji is at his best. It's up to him to decide what to restore and what to destroy.As always book was excellent

Conspirator: Foreigner Sequence 4, Book 1

Cajeiri is the young son of the powerful leader of the Western Association-and he has become a target for forces bent on destroying his father's rule. For Cajeiri is the first ateva to understand the humans living among them-an understanding that threatens his own race.

Heroe's Homecoming!!!!!

Did you expect parades and congratulations?Did you really think everything will be so easy?

Aiji-dowager and paidhi-aiji are not here to..Show More » supervise for 2 years, what will happen meanwhile?

Deceiver: Foreigner Sequence 4, Book 2

"One of the best long-running SF series in existence" (Publishers Weekly) continues with the second novel in a brand-new Foreigner sequence. The civil war among the alien Atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri, his son and heir, has returned to the Bujavid, his seat of power. But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.

Mildly disappointed

While this book is not the strongest entry in the series I will continue to read more books by this author.

Betrayer: Foreigner Sequence 4, Book 3

In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida. But now he is trapped inside Najida-which has been surrounded by enemies- with the powerful grandmother of his ally, Tabiniaiji, atevi leader of the Western Association. Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, is not inclined to be passive and sends Bren into enemy territory, to the palace of the leader of the rebels.

The story continues

If you've been reading the Foreigner series, then you won't want to miss this book! The fighting is in and around Bren Cameron's country estate, as B..Show More »ren must negotiate with Machigi to prevent a full out civil war. Again.<br/><br/>If this is your first contact with Cherryh's Foreigner series, stop! You really need to go back to the very beginning of the series. There is way too much that you've missed to start with this book.

Intruder: Foreigner Sequence 5, Book 1

In the wake of civil war, Bren Cameron, the brilliant human diplomat of the alien atevi civilization, has left the capital and sought refuge at his country estate, Najida. But now he is trapped inside Najida - which has been surrounded by enemies - with the powerful grandmother of his ally, Tabiniaiji, atevi leader of the Western Association. Ilisidi, the aiji-dowager, is not inclined to be passive and sends Bren into enemy territory, to the palace of the leader of the rebels.

Excellent!

As good as ever. Ms.C J Cherryh's continuous plot for the Foreigner Series is as good as ever. Can't wait for the next volume.

Protector: Foreigner Sequence 5, Book 2

It's coming up on Cajeiri's birthday. The boy has been promised he can have the young human children he knew from his voyage sent down from the space station for a two week stay. But there's a far darker business going on in the background - a major split compromising the Assassins' Guild, which furnishes security and law enforcement to the whole continent. Tabini's consort's own father has been barred from court, and may be involved in a new conspiracy against him.

New to the Series? Don't Start Here

I was listening to this book and it occurred to me that someone who had not been following the Foreigner series would probably be totally lost. So I ..Show More »would urge anyone who is interested in this book to go to the first volume in the set and read forward. I have found a lot of pleasure in reading these books over the years but the worlds and cultures created by Cherryh are complex and full of concepts that may require a glossary and a character list for first time readers.

We are back on the home world of the atevi. The son of the ruler of the Western Association, Cajeiri, is approaching his ninth birthday. The number nine in this culture as particular significance. His father has agreed to allow him to have a visit from three of his human friends from the space station. But, as usual where the atevi (and the humans) are concerned there is a witches brew of politics. And in the middle of it is Bren Cameron, the translator/diplomat whose tenure has seen the most incredible changes in the human/atevi interface.

the narrator is also quite good with consistent pronunciation of the many unusual words and names used.

Peacemaker: Foreigner Sequence 5, Book 3

At last - Cajeiri has his young guests from the starship, three young folk entranced by weather and trees and creatures with minds of their own. It’s all he dreamed of.... But now safety is foremost: Cajeiri’s grandfather has been assassinated, hostile Assassins Guild invaded Great-uncle’s house, and now Bren Cameron, paidhi-aiji, who was sent to keep the aiji’s son safe, has more than the young guests on his mind. The aiji-dowager knows who’s to blame for the attacks, and they’re going after him.

Great book, great performance, great series

What a tour de force! I thought I'd listen to the first thirty minutes or so the night this book was released. Ha! I couldn't put it down. I stayed up..Show More » most of the night listening to it, then took the day off work and listened to the rest of it nonstop to the end. And it was worth it!

Lots of excitement, engaging characters, important conflicts, and satisfying outcomes. I was braced for long boring summaries of what had gone before, but happily Cherryh sidestepped all that. She slipped in the needed background information through interesting new content.

I don't think I know how to review these books any more. This one is number 16 in the Foreigner series. I had started at the beginning about 25 years..Show More » ago (Cherryh has been one of my favorite authors since I picked up her first novel, The Gates of Ivrel nearly 40 years ago). If I hadn't started at the beginning how confused would I be trying to put together the world of the Atevi and the world of diplomat/translator Bren Cameron? Or maybe I wouldn't have been confused, maybe I just enjoy the depth of the story because I did start at the beginning.

Anyway, this one is better than the last sequence which had the feel of being a bridge between major parts of the story. Cajieri's young human friends have gone back to the station and it seems that Bren is going to get some work done now that certain plot lines in flux seem to have settled down. However, an extraordinary event sends the story off in another direction.

Daniel Thomas May is still doing an excellent job of narrating the story. Some of the Atevi words are not quite what I imagined when reading the books, but I am reconciled. Great to have all of the books with a single very competent narrator.

Visitor: Foreigner Sequence 6, Book 2

It's been a year of upheaval since Bren Cameron's return from space - a year since he and the aiji-dowager, one of his most powerful atevi allies, returned home from their two-year interstellar mission to find the government overthrown and their world in chaos. Now, at last, things on the atevi world seem to be on the right track, and Bren hopes that life may soon become much more tranquil. But something is coming, quietly, stealthily - just the first ominous twinkle of a new star in the heavens....

For me, the best in the series

It amazes me how I can be entirely engrossed in each of the Foreigner series books even when nothing much (as viewed from the outside) actually happen..Show More »s. And when it does. Wow! This book had a major unexpected twist that turned the series on its head, and made it even more interesting. No spoilers here, but I loved it.

Cherryh's ability to get so deeply into the minds of the characters can sometimes be difficult to endure. But as someone with a busy mind I can only say that it's familiar to my own thought processes and I've gotten to know the workings of the characters well. And there's always something new to learn and surprises here and there. They aren't unpredictable, they're complex.

As always, Daniel Thomas May narrates the story perfectly. He delivers each character well, and considering he has 3 different species' words to deliver he does it superbly and that's quite an accomplishment.

Convergence: Foreigner Sequence 6, Book 3

Alpha Station, orbiting the world of the atevi, has taken aboard 5,000 human refugees from a destroyed station in a distant sector of space. With supplies and housing stretched to the breaking point, it is clear that the refugees must be relocated down to the planet, and soon. But not to the atevi mainland, rather to the territory reserved for humans: the island of Mospheira. Tabini-aiji, the powerful political head of the atevi, tasks his brilliant human diplomat, Bren Cameron, to negotiate with the Mospheiran government.

Tying the ends together...

As others have said, there isn't a lot "going on" physically in this installment, but there is a LOT of interplay and politics happening, as u..Show More »sual. Politics of the known players, winding out in their slow and plodding fashion. I love this series for it's political depth and character interaction. For anyone looking for a lot of action and hero vs villain interplay, perhaps the series is a bit too subtle.

Bren is maturing and has fully seated himself in Atevi society, and is absolutely invested in his role within same. It is logical that he'll spend time in preparation and thoughtfulness, over action. Politics is all about appearances and presentation, after all.

Cajeri is maturing and coming into his own. I love how the author describes Cageri's thought process as he makes decisions - relating them to his tutelage under Ilisid, or how they would affect his father. Listening to Cajeri make plans to begin to set up his own household was interesting as well. Dealing with his pet Boji, seems so very "real" - a wild animal caught and caged who makes a terrific and uncontrollable amount of noise and fuss, Consequences of a spur of the moment choice that must be dealt with.

All that transpires within the book (and series) is logical, from the "abandonment" of a barely trained paidhi to his fate to the uproar and actions revolving around Tatesegi's estate and nearby lands. Perhaps it is my own maturity that makes me a bit more forgiving of some aspects.

Though the ending of this book felt quite abrupt, I do look forward to what happens on the mainland regarding the "outsider" cousin to Cajeri, Nomari (sp?), and on Mosphera with the landing and integration of the shipfolk. ...twists and turns and plots and conflicts.